We had an excellent dinner at the Wildcat Tavern in Jackson, New Hampshire where the focus is on New England cuisine in an attractive and comfortable setting, with Chef Bryant Alden as the talent in the kitchen. Chef Bryant Alden, whose ancestry dates to the Mayflower, has a true New Englander’s flair which he extends to the restaurant’s culinary vision and style.
Dinner at the Wildcat Tavern on a cold winter’s night in late February 2016 provided us with the perfect opportunity to meet Chef Bryant Alden over the course of the evening and get to know his culinary style. The restaurant is cozy and charming with hardwood floors, interesting ski and outdoor memorabilia grace the navy walls trimmed with white molding, wall sconces, and red mini-shades on the chandeliers add to the restaurant’s ambience, and tables are attractively double draped with ivory linens and accessorized with votive candles.
Wildcat Tavern
Our dining experience began with one of the tasty soups on the winter menu, the Lobster Corn Bisque, which was rich, creamy, and very hearty with an abundance of chopped lobster meat and sweet corn. We also had the Classic Caesar Salad which was well-made with lots of shaved parmesan cheese, croutons, and traditional anchovies included at our request.
Lobster Corn Bisque
Classic Caesar Salad
When we saw the waitstaff bringing many orders of the enticing Onion Ring Dippers to nearby tables, we knew that we had to try them. We were more than pleased that we had as the very generous portion of oversize onion rings were extremely tasty and encased in a delectable crunchy golden crust served with a BBQ Sauce for dipping.
Onion Rings
As one of our main courses, we had one of the specials, Seared Scallops with Artichokes and Cherry Tomatoes in a White Wine Garlic Scampi Sauce over Linguini. Attractively presented, this was a winner in taste and style, and was well paired with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, Cakebread, from Napa Valley, California.
Seared Scallops
We also selected one the main courses from the regular menu, the Pork Osso Buco Burgundy Braised Pork Shank Simmered in Pan Gravy, which was excellent. Chef Bryant Alden presented the hearty Osso Buco in a rich pool of gravy accompanied by green beans, summer squash, zucchini, and fingerling potatoes. We paired the pork with a glass of Malbec, Clayhouse, from Red Cedar Vineyard, Paso Robles, California which provided nice complementary flavors.
Pork Osso Buco Burgundy Braised Pork Shank
Although the desserts on the menu looked very interesting, Chocolate Mousse, Lemoncello Cake, and Strawberry Layer Cake, having overindulged with the onion rings, we decided that we were more than satisfied and opted out for dessert. As the bar has live music, after dinner we went to listen to the music, which was the perfect "nightcap" to our dining experience at the Wildcat Tavern.
The restaurant is open for Dinner only on Monday from 5:00 pm until 9:30 pm, for Lunch Tuesday through Sunday from 12:00 pm until 5:00 pm, and for Dinner Tuesday through Sunday from 5:00 pm until 9:30 pm. Please visit their website for performance schedules. Also, on Tuesday nights there is Open Mic night, so there is always something fun to check out at the Wildcat Inn & Tavern.
Chef Bryant Alden and his wife Patti
Read the interview with Chef Bryant Alden who graciously shares a delicious taste of the Wildcat Tavern and New England with his recipes for Asparagus Brie Soup, New England Clam Chowder, Roasted Garlic Oysters, and Alice’s Chicken and Shrimp in the Chefs’ Recipes section.
Read more about our experiences in the Mount Washington Valley of New Hampshire in the Restaurants, Chefs’ Recipes, and Gastronomy sections.
Wildcat Tavern
94 Main Street, Route 16-A
Jackson, New Hampshire 03846
United States
Toll-Free: +1-800-228-4245
Telephone: +1-603-383-6502
Email: contact@wildcattavern.com
Website: www.wildcattavern.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WildcatTavern
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